The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different dietary corn levels in Total Mixed Rations (TMR) on growth and meat quality of castrated Korean black goats. For feeding trials, thirty-two castrated Korean black goats with similar age (average of 3 months) and body weight (average of 15.9 kg) were divided into the following four treatment groups: commercial feed (control), TMR containing 15% of corn (T1), TMR containing 25% of corn (T2), and TMR containing 35% of corn (T3) in a randomized complete block design. Final body weight was the highest in T2 (58.9 kg), followed by that in control group (53.1 kg). Average daily gain (ADG) and total dry matter intake (TDMI) were also the highest in T2 (100.2 g and 1,346 g, respectively). However, feed conversion ratio (13.4) was the lowest in T2. Carcass weight and dressing percentage in T2 and T3 were higher than those in the control. For meat quality characteristics, crude fat content was the highest in T2 (6.54%). Cooking loss (15.2%) was the lowest in the control. However, the control had the highest flavor value (5.3%). Oleic acid (C18:l) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were the highest in T2 (48.6% and 22.4%, respectively). Stearic acid (C18:0) was the highest in T1 (14.5%). Unsaturated fatty acid was the highest in the control (58.8%), followed by that in T3 (58.2%), T2 (57.8%), and T1 (54.4%). These results indicate that TMR containing 25% of corn could improve the growth performance and meat quality of castrated Korean black goats

Cell-free fetal RNA has been highlighted as useful tools for the fetal sex determination or other genetic inherent disorder. However, there is no knowledge about the sex determination using cell free fetal RNA in bovine field. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the presence of transcripts of DDX3Y, USP9Y and ZRSR2Y genes in maternal plasma of pregnant cows to determine the sex of the fetus using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, and verify its accuracy, sensitivity and specificity compared with the molecular testing and the calf sex at birth. Transcripts of USP9Y and DDX3Y genes were expressed in the all plasma of males and females both the control group and the experimental group. However, ZRSR2Y gene was matched up with the molecular testing and the true sex in control group and has an overall accuracy of 82.6%, a sensitivity of 75%, and a specificity of 100% in experimental group. Therefore, these results indicated that real time PCR technique, as a noninvasive and cost-efficient method, is possible to determination fetal sex in the bovine species using circulating cell free RNA in maternal plasma and especially ZRSR2Y gene could be a good candidate for the RNA based sex determination work.